title: Epilepsy, retarded growth and onchocerciasis, in two areas of different endemicity of onchocerciasis in Burundi.
abstract: A high prevalence of epilepsy (up to 1.3%) was observed in an area hyperendemic for onchocerciasis in the province of Bururi, Burundi. Following this observation, epileptics and controls were examined in 2 communes (administrative units) with different endemicity for onchocerciasis. Altogether, onchocerciasis was more frequent in epileptics (81.8%) than in controls from the same households (68.3%; P < 0.05). This difference was more marked in the hyperendemic area. Other possible causes of epilepsy, including cysticercosis, were infrequent (18 possible cases among 110 epileptics). During this survey, 9 epileptics with growth retardation were seen. They showed most characteristics of Nakalanga syndrome, which was described from Uganda. All 9 such cases were suffering from onchocerciasis. These findings give more evidence of a possible association between onchocerciasis and epilepsy, and between onchocerciasis and Nakalanga syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Onchocerciasis Control Programme, Programme de Lutte contre les Maladies Transmissibles et Carentielles (LMTC), Bujumbura, Burundi.
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Newell
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vyungimana
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Bradley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000818:Animals; D002063:Burundi / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications; D017181:Onchocerca volvulus; D009855:Onchocerciasis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D013577:Syndrome